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...to raise money for causes and organisations which otherwise would be scraping the begging bowl. Perhaps this is something to do with the folk world itself - I suspect so.

Way back in the early days people like Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger and the Ian Campbell Folk Group would find themselves alongside Leon Rosselson and Martin Carthy at CND rallies or miners' benefit concerts. In fact, one of the last performances I saw Ewan and Peggy give was at an anti-racism concert at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester.

Folkies like Show of Hands and Seth Lakeman are carrying on very much in the same tradition today. Phil Beer of Show of Hands is on a sponsored slimathon (apparently several brewers are contemplating suicide at the news) to raise money for three charities - The Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, where Steve Knightley's son is being treated for leukaemia, the Alzheimer's Society and MS Research. Show of Hands are also performing at a special Over the Rainbow festival in Tewkesbury on the anniversary of the floods that devastated that lovely town.

Seth Lakeman's new album Poor Man's HeavenÌýwill be launched at a special

gig in Cornwall on 25 June at The Watering Hole on Perranporth beach.

All profits from the concert will go to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

To quote Seth, 'I wanted to do something positive in launching the album rather than just another gig - and raising money for the RNLI felt appropriate as the new album has such a strong coastal theme.'

Seth's new album - which is a real cracker - can be heard in an exclusive online streamÌýon the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ website.ÌýTell us what you think about itÌýby leaving a comment here on the blog.